


The God's Losses

by Ruby_slipper_of_iowa



Series: A War of Gods [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, F/M, M/M, Side Story, Sorry Not Sorry, lots of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-07-14 01:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16030283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruby_slipper_of_iowa/pseuds/Ruby_slipper_of_iowa
Summary: Everything that happened before Gods of Altea. ENJOY!





	1. Love worth fighting for

**Author's Note:**

> The updates will seem random, but actually come on days when I don't update Gods of Altea. Basically this is background information, that doesn't actually fit into the plot....
> 
> Also, the length of each of these is pretty random....

Hunk, King of the Catapults as he was called on the battle field, was working next to his beautiful bride. They had gotten married just before the war, and as much as he loved to work as apart of Voltron, he loved working with her more. Everyone could tell the war was coming to a close. Too many lives had been lost, Altean, Galra, and god. He hoped it would end soon, before Shay’s secret took her away from him. He smiled at her as they loaded anther round into the catapults and got ready to launch. They had just cut the ropes when Shay screamed.

Hunk rushed to her side, and saw a crack appear in her leg. She screamed again, and the crack grew. “Hunk it’s too early, but I have to let them go now.”

“No. They won’t be prepared for this war.” Hunk argued, and he was grateful that he was a god, or his hand would have been pulverized in Shay’s grip.

Shay smiled, before letting loose another scream, the crack had spread, and when she regained her breath she said, “I will give the rest of my life force for them.” She smiled at her husband, and began a spell, “One just North, the other just South, the pride of their father and myself, my beauties, I give you life.” As Shay finished speaking, she shined with the glory of the sun, and in her place were two blankets wrapped around two fragile new gods.

Hunk scooped them up and began crying. He shook, forgetting the battlefield and holding on to the precious children left to him. He stayed there for ten minutes, the children, with the wisdom of their mother, remaining silent, until their father could care for them, but his silent cries, and shudders where not ceasing.

 

It should have been no surprise that Lance was the one who found him. Hunk heard his friend call his name but did not look up. “Where’s Shay?” Lance asked, breaking through Hunk’s mourning. Hunk straightened enough to allow Lance to see the bundles in his arms.

“Her pillar was attacked, and she made a choice.” Was all that Hunk could manage to tell Lance.

Lance’s face was uncharacteristically stony. “Take these two back to your temple, and insure that they are cared for, then go take care of Shay’s temple. I’ll cover for you until you return.” Hunk nodded and used the ability they all had that Shay had forgone to protect their children, he went straight from the field to his temple.

He called his chief priest. “See that these children are given the best that the temple has to offer.” Hunk said, depositing the babies into a crib he had made the last time he and Shay had received a week off to celebrate their union. “I’m going to take care of remaking Shay’s temple into an appropriate shrine.”

 

Her temple was in ruins. When she had given up her life force for the children, Shay had caused her temple to collapse on those foolish Galra who had attempted to take not one, but three godly lives. Hunk set to work, and worked for three days and nights, he found every piece of Shay’s former pillar and made them the foundation of the shrine. He then cut the finest marble and created walls and a roof. From the outside it now looked like a shimmering square pearl.

He then worked on the interior, using all the colors of the earth to paint an image of Shay’s steady love for him, for their children, and for her people. He then stepped out and locked the door. As they did with Shrines, only gods could enter, and the Alteans, would have to mourn at her doorstep, protected by what remained of her essence.


	2. 100 years before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KLANCE,  
> KLANCE,  
> KLLLAAANNNCCEEE!

“Hey Mullet, you home?” Lance called into the sandstone abyss that Keith called a home and temple.

“Lance what are you doing here?” Keith asked stepping from the shadows. He had on Harlem pants and an open vest.

Lance tried to be subtle as he bit his lip. “Oh, you know, just going around to say hi to everyone. It’s been pretty boring up North.”

“So, you decided to come visit me?” Keith asked blinking and uncrossing his arms.

“Yeah.” Lance’s eyes widened. “I mean, I saw Hunk on my way down, and I’ll probably see Pidge on my way back up, so it’s not that big of a deal.” Lance shrugged.

He looked back at Keith who was biting his lip. “Why do you have to be like that?”

“Like what?” Lance asked, reeling back.

“So defensive.” Keith looked down. “I’ve missed you.”

Lance stepped forward. “Really? I thought-”

“You think a lot of things, Lance.” Keith smiled looking up at him. “That doesn’t mean all of them are true.”

“Do you mind if I stay here for a while?” Lance asked.

“Stay as long as you like.” Keith said, taking his hand and leading him into the depths of his shadowed temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sry this was so short...  
> What do you think is gonna happen??


	3. 50 years latter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh spaghettios!  
> or MORE KLANCE!

“Mullet, how did this happen?” Lance groaned.

“Not sure, but I wish we could talk to Coran right now.” Keith grumbled.

“I wish it was just one of us, rather than both.” Lance moaned.

“I find myself envying the humans more and more.” Keith said. “Now come over here. You’re the one who’s experimented with this stuff, is this prepared correctly.”

Lance waddled over to Keith. “Looks like it. How ironic would it be if we both popped at the same time.”

Keith glared at Lance, “We don’t joke like that.”

Lance snorted, “Well, at least your reactions are still cute.”

Keith shook his head at his lover’s antics, “How the hell did Shay fight like this?”

“Women, both human and goddess, are strange and terrifying creatures, though I do wish we could have visited Allura and sealed our bond, but life does not always work as we want it to.” Lance smiled at Keith and they shared a kiss.

Keith smiled as they gently broke apart. “Here’s to the next adventure.”

Lance laughed, “The greatest adventure of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more short one, and we'll continue with the main fic, Gods f Altea.


	4. Naming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BABIES AND KLANCE! CAN LIFE GET BETTER?
> 
> (The answer is no. No it can't)

Lance sighed, leaning into Keith. They each had a little bundle in their arms. Lance smiled at the sleeping gods, who seemed to be having trouble settling on their forms. Lance was comfortable, until Keith was suddenly not next to him, and he nearly crashed into the bed with one of their children.

“Keith!” Lance barely kept himself from shouting and waking the babies. He then saw Keith pacing/ at a speed that only gods could call walking. Lance sighed, “Babe, what is it?”

“I just realized that for all the time we’ve had to think about it, we haven’t considered names.” Keith turned to Lance. “At all.”

Lance froze, then began bouncing the child in his arms. “Well, we already know their primary powers.”

Keith glared wide eyed at him. “Awe can’t-”

“Says who?” Lance argued. “My Mom called me little sea until I grew up a bit.”

“So, what? You just chose your own name?” Keith sounded aghast.

“You’re saying Krolia came up with Keith?” And it was times like these that Lance wished he didn’t have a baby in his hands, just so he could place them where they belonged on his hips.

“First of all rude.” Keith interjected. “Second of all, while she did have a nickname for me she always knew my real name.”

“Is that what she told you, or did she actually use your real name?”

Keith pouted.

“It’s not like they would be bad names, Sauna and Magma would be really cute!” Lance grinned. “We could even give them the opposite names.”

Keith glared at him. “We are not confusing our children because we wanted to make a joke out of their names.”

Lance shrugged, “What do you suggest?”

Kieth looked down, “Sauna is cute for a girl, and this one seems to be settling in a female form.”

Lance looked down. “Either name could be androgynous, and this one doesn’t seem to want to settle anytime soon.”

Keith smirked. “Sounds like Pidge.”

Lance got up and crossed to where Keith had long since paused. He kissed his lover, his co-parent, his (dare he say it?) husband. “Let’s not tie them down to anything just yet.”

Keith giggled, “I like that.” Before kissing him back.

“Perhaps it’s time to get these two into their cradles.” Lance raised his eyebrows twice, making Keith laugh.

“Okay you goof.”

When they reached the foot of their bed where the two little cradles were Kieth paused and concentrating allowed a narrow stream of flame to go from his eyes to one cradle then the other as he emblazoned the babies names into them.

“That looks wonderful.” Lance sighed before placing Magma down. Keith did the same with Sauna, then began to gently lead Lance around the bed. Lance smiled, unable to contain how happy this god made him as they kissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TOMORROW we will be back to the main fic! you ready?!


	5. The Original Twins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys... I'm sorry, but not. Prepare yourselves, the next couple days will be... rough.

Mathew and Kathleen (who latter was know as Pidge) were inseparable. As the gods of the harvest and forest respectively, they worked together seamlessly. Neither had a strong embodiment of their father’s domain (communication) but could see him through the need to communicate during the harvest, and the way the forest spoke within itself. Samuel and Collen loved to see their children’s powers at play, until those children decided to use their powers against the other gods as a means of pranking.

Krollia and Alfor had both come to witness the new gods at their birth. Both were astounded by how gods could have children like mortals and asked perhaps too many questions. Alfor began doting on his grand-godlings and Krollia investigated how the children stabilized and evoked their parent’s powers. They left when the children were still infants, just a couple of mortal years old. Continuing to discuss the implications of the births and how the births were made possible.

Mathew and Pidge remained together and grew hand in hand, field running next to forest, sharing the same rivers and streams to grow well and strong. They played with all their mother’s plants experimenting with how they worked with and against each other and other organic organisms. 

They were fully ordained gods by the time the Galra struck. When their mother fell, Samuel began to make a plan, with the help of his father and sister. The plan was Voltron, five gods who could unite and fight as a single unit. Voltron would be its own god, joined by a bond and power of communication that had yet to be seen. To make Altea’s ultimate protector they called out to all the gods and began a series of tests, raw strength or power, control of their powers, adaptability, and ability to work with others.

Samuel never told anyone, but the truth was he thought Mathew and Pidge, as they were now being called, would be two of the five gods of Voltron. They had often, as they were growing, seemed to become a singular unit as they communicated flawlessly to pull yet another stunt. They had helped him come up with this idea, and surely they would both be apart of making the experiment come true.

But he never got to see the end results of the tests. He was needed on the front lines when he felt his pillar being beaten. There was no one else who could so effectively be a messenger, so he left it to his town, and the people there to defend him.

When Pidge was deemed fit for Voltron, and sat with her four new teammates, she was still mourning the loss of her father. Not days latter they had achieved Voltron for the first time, and Alfor had overseen the bonding rather than protect his Pillar. The next day Pidge cried as he joined with Voltron and beat back a massive wave of Glara mortals, and showed the Galran gods just how much they had been mistaken to attack Altea.

It wasn’t enough. They refused on principle to destroy any god’s pillars. They being Voltron. But Pidge knew, in larger units, somethings were unnecessary to communicate. Trees don’t tell other trees where protecting poison ivy is. It is there as a safety and precaution against those who would destroy the forest, and it would never hurt the forest itself. 

Pidge had taken several precautionary steps centered around the pillar of Zarkon, the leader and king of the Galran Gods. They set the roots to break forth when Matt screamed on the battle field.

Pidge broke Voltron. “Matt what’s wrong?” She appeared at his side in milliseconds.

“Pillar.” He gasped.

“Go protect yourself.” Pidge begged him.

“No. I need—” He gasped “—to be—” he gritted his teeth. “with you.”

“And you won’t if you don’t protect yourself.” Pidge screamed, making a forest erupt around them as the galran forces approached. Matt searched their eyes before nodding and disappearing. Pidge sent her plants on a poisonous rampage before reaching into the earth. “Excuse me Grandmother.” She whispered as she followed the root connections to her seedlings. “Grow my vines, avenge my family.” When the other Paladins found her, the deed was done. Zarkon was dead, and the Galra were willing to negotiate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least these are chapter lengths comparable to the main fic...


	6. Bring Him Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge is a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably should have been before the last chapter. I am not gender fluid, I think I understand how it works, but I could be wrong. I would love to learn more, and make edits based on actual people's experiences being gender fluid.

Pidge flew to her brother’s temple as soon as the bond between the Galra and Altea had been sealed. The village surrounding his temple was ransacked and his fields were littered with salt. Nothing major for the god of the Harvest to take care of, if…

Pidge wouldn’t let herself think like that She flew into the temple and felt something at the center of her pillar shift, changing her center, making her lose her footing while she regained her balance. She watched the scattered pieces of the pillar scattered about the floor slowly come together, carried by the poisonous plants of the forest. She screamed, slamming a fist into the floor and an oak sprang up growing five hundred years in a minute, crashing through the ceiling. The sun streamed down her as she set to work.  The smaller plants and vines, designed to maim and kill brought the pillar back together, slowly, piecing it together, twisting it back together. But is did not form a pillar. It made a series of marble and vegetation roots, reaching for the sky.

“Come back.” Pidge yelled. “You said you needed to be with me.” Her voice screeched. “Where are you?”

Pidge was still kneeling on the ground when the new piece of her soul moved. He closed his eyes and listened. It was similar to his powers over the forest. It wanted him to act, and so he did. He killed everything he had just made, petrifying it, and making it all stone. “Live!” He screamed, digging his fingers into the brownstone floor, leaving claw marks behind. At the heart of the root work there was a crack and he followed it, tracing it out, screaming in agony as he stretched his new powers to their brink. 

She chased the crack in a giant oval. She stumbled to her feet, nearly spent from all she’d done. Stumbling forward, she began to climb the root system to the oval. Pidge worked her fingers into the seems and began to pry it open. Slowly she grunted as she pulled and gradually as minutes of this went by, she felt someone near her, pushing.

“COME ON!” Their voice echoed in the hall, and suddenly the door gave and she was falling back as someone fell onto her.

“Pidge?” The person asked. “Oh me, it is you!”

Pidge’s fist shot out. “You just got back from the dead, and that’s what you have to say for yourself?” They were crying again.

“Oh Pidge, you wouldn’t love me any other way.” Matt said stroking their hair and crying with them. When the two of them were finally calm, Matt pulled away from Pidge. “How did you do it?” He asked.

“I think… I got new powers.” Pidge muttered.

“From Dad?” Matt asked.

But Pidge shook their head and shrugged. “I’m not sure where these have come from. I saw your ruins, and my pillar, my soul, my powers changed. Not much, but enough.”

“However they came to be, I’m glad you did this, I came back to see my people’s fields salted and their homes torn apart, and it was only worse when I came in and those barbarians were tearing me apart. They had slowed my powers just by salting the ground.” Matt sniffed, close to tears again. “I fought as well as I could, but they had already injured me when I was on the battle grounds.”

“Shhh, you’re back now.” Pidge was now stroking his hair. “We can deal with the details of why you needed to come back later.”

Matt huffed a short laugh. “True, I need to help my people get back on their feet. Pidge nodded, and they both changed into their priests robes. It was well known that the priests Matt and Katie were close, much like their gods were, and no one would be surprised that Katie had shown up in their time of need. As they stepped into the sunlight some of the remaining villagers came out.

“Katie, thank the heavens you are here. We have not seen Matt, and the temple has been groaning, shaking and some say the roof fell in last night.” The woman stopped short of the steps, and Pidge did their best to not look at Mathew. A child ran up to the woman and clutched her skirts. “Tell us, is Matt gone?”

“I think that’s a complicated question right now.” Pidge replied. “You may see his Pillar, it is both standing, and no longer like it was. I will go see what I can do to help. Perhaps Pidge will help bless the land.” Pidge smiled, and stroked the woman’s shoulder as she passed and walked out of the village to the fields.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How'd I do guys? Are you upset with me yet? or are ya good? Let me know.


	7. New Powers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt's strugling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not gender fluid, still would love to hear from gender fluid people about how it works, and still willing to make revisions based on that.

“They couldn’t see me.” Matt whispered. “I was explicitly trying to be see and they couldn’t see me.”

“Perhaps it’s just a phase.” Pidge whispered back, biting her lip. “Let’s see what we can do to make the crops grow again.” When they rounded a corner, they made themself invisible again. The two continued in silence to the field.

“I can get some rain for you if you need it.” A voice said from above them as they came to the edge of the field.

“SHIRO!” Matt launched himself into the air and knocked the other god out of it and onto the ground.

Pidge snorted, then gagged, “Come on you two some of us don’t have all day.”

That got Shiro to at least attempt sitting up, and looking over at Pidge, “Yes, some of us left important meetings early to come do something that obviously could have waited.”

Matt scrambled off Shiro, “Ummm… we need to talk after this.” Matt then turned and raised his hands over the field. He softly closed his eyes and Pidge and Shiro waited. They watched Matt tense and relax several times, as he would grow frustrated, then calm down to better use his powers. Finally, he turned to Pidge, nearly in tears. “I don’t have a connection with the earth.”

Shiro rushed to Matt, “What did they do to you, we can fix this, or with the new agreement, get them to fix this.” Matt shook his head and did not turn to Shiro. “They killed me. What they ‘did’ has already been fixed.”

Pidge hugged their brother, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I’m so sorry.” Shiro backed away from the two of them, and just watched in shock and horror of what he had learned before flying to Matt’s temple.

Suddenly Matt pulled away from Pidge and looked down. Pidge followed his gaze down to a small child tugging on his robes, the same one they had seen gripping onto it’s mother. “Why are you crying?” The child asked.

“How can you see us?” Matt asked.

The child shrugged. “Why were you hugging the air earlier?”

Matt blinked down at the child, “One of my friends was disguised. Can you tell me, is there anyone else here?”

The child snorted, “Priestess Katie, of course.” Matt looked over at Pidge who shrugged and kneeled down.

“Hey, little one, can you tell us where your Mommy is?”

The child pouted, “She’s not listening to me, and has been crying since the bad people came.”

“Why don’t the three of us go visit her.” Pidge suggested holding out their hand. Matt smiled at them and also held out his hand. The three of them skipped together to the correct home, Matt and Pidge occasionally swinging the child between them. When they got to the child’s home they were shocked to find the mother crying, her head in her hands.

The child went up to her and began tugging on her skirt again. “Mama, stop crying.” She ignored him.

A man came in shaking his head. “There’s nothing we can do about the land. I think we’ll have to move.” He knelt in front of the woman and was presumably the child’s father. “We can start a new life somewhere the crops will still grow. And maybe we can move past what happened to—”

“Don’t say his name. My baby’s gone, and I can’t.” She huffed a breath, gathering herself. “Priestess Katie said she would try to help.”

“Pidge is the Great being of the forest, they can only help so much with planting and harvesting.” Pidge made a face, but remained quiet, even as the child’s cries became louder as they began tugging on both of their parents.

Matt finally knelt next to the child. “They can’t hear you or see you, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped loving you.” He took the child into his arms and began quietly humming to them. When the child was calm, he went to the parents and whispered, “I’m sorry for your loss, I will care for your child now.” He then glowed, and both parents calmed, and set to wrapping around each other, still teary and mourning, but less shattered.

Matt then led the child to his temple as Pidge followed. She watched as Matt took the child’s hand walking through the town, slowly others joined their parade, and When Matt looked behind himself at his temple, found roughly thirty men women and children following him, and Pidge standing behind them all. “I cannot bring you back to life.” He said. “But I can take you to a place where you will be content, and never again feel pain.” He met Pidge’s eyes. “I was once Mathew, God of the Harvest, but I suppose now I am simply your God, may we find peace in death.” Many gasped as they entered the temple and saw the state of his pillar.

 Shiro shook upon seeing Matt climb back up to the doorway he and Pidge had created Shiro stood to the side, confused, but when he met Mathew’s eyes, Mathew glowed again, and Shiro gasped, “They’re- where- ghosts!”

Mathew simply nodded, and helped them all through, starting with the child. As the last elderly man was lifted by Mathew through the gateway, he turned to Shiro and Pidge, “I’ll be back, but I must see to them, and begin learning my new powers.”

When Mathew disappeared into the doorway, Shiro turned to Pidge. “Do you have _any_ explanation for what I just saw?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all okay with me killing Matt yet?


	8. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey Shiro... SO ABOUT THAT......

“Well… you know how I haven’t been handling my grief well?” Shiro’s expression did not change as Pidge shifted. “I kinda came back to Matt’s pillar being in ruins, and my gut instinct was to fix it.” She gave him a small smile revealing all of her teeth. “I didn’t want to disrupt the order of the world, but it kinda happened anyways?? Or maybe I didn’t disrupt anything, you know since Mathew was already gone, and I brought back… some… order?” She tried grinning again. “At least Mathew’s back…”

Shiro sighed and rubbed his face. “That’s not what has me like this.” He ran his ands through his hair, which was turning white. “How could you bring him back? No one has that power. Death… it’s beyond us and fixing a pillar—” He gripped his hair. “This is all crazy!”

“If it makes you feel any better I haven’t fully been able to grasp the magnitude of the situation either.”

Pidge winced under the glare Shiro shot her for that one. “What were you thinking.”

“Have you considered that maybe for once I wasn’t thinking about anything? Well, I was thinking about Matt, but I couldn’t think about anything else. You know how when we’re really young, like under a hundred human years, and we don’t have control over our powers?” Shiro nodded urging her to continue. “It was like that, but I could clearly see my goal, and things just went with what I wanted.”

Shiro shook his head, “You didn’t even try to contact anyone?”

Pidge just stared at Shiro, “I couldn’t do that without Allura getting involved, and she made her opinion of me pretty clear.” Shiro sighed and rubbed his face. “See, you know it’s true. She called me a selfish murderer. How many more of us have to die before that death becomes justified. The members of Voltron, Allura and Coran are the only ones left. We were nearly left extinct.” Pidge hiccupped and began to cry again. “So, no. I didn’t reach out, because you all felt similarly to her, even if you wouldn’t say it.” Pidge waved an arm in front of Shiro’s face as he opened his mouth to reply. “And don’t you start to say that you and the others wouldn’t have felt that way, because I am our roots, I connect us while we are Voltron, I know how all of you felt about what I did. And I KNOW it’s only worse now because of how your lips are frowning slightly, and your nose is turned up. Like I chose to be here yelling at you, like I wanted to bring my brother back with new powers, like I wanted to kill Zarkon. News flash, I don’t like killing any more than you, but I’m willing to do what must be done.”

“And if that meant getting rid of one of us?” Shiro asked.

“I’m…” Pidge looked away from Shiro’s eyes. “I know I could break the bond to do what need be done.”

“Why break the bond?” Shiro asked.

Pidge looked at him in horror, “Because this link between the five of us runs too deep. If one of us were to die, the rest would be at very least incapacitated, if not killed as well. My father explained this while rushing us through the process. It’s why Matt and I would have been ideal together, because we literally cannot live without each other already.” Pidge huffed and slid down to the ground criss-cross applesauce. “We can discuss this more when Matt gets back.”

Shiro sighed and kneeled next to her staring at the remade pillar. “I think the team just wanted a say in what you had planned.”

“Those thoughts, and desires were there.” Pidge said not turning away from the doorway in Matt’s pillar. “We all have to be open. There’s nothing hidden between the five of us, as long as you are looking.”

Pidge saw Shiro shift, about to respond when Matt came tumbling through the doorway, with a “What’s up my lovelies?!” Successfully breaking the tension. There was still much to discuss between the five gods of Voltron, but they had more time and an easier time doing it than anyone outside of them would know.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for the main fic? It's about to get good, and will finally be posted again tomorrow!!!


	9. And No One Knew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SHADAM FOR THE WIN!!!! I bet y'all were wondering why that was in the tags, right?

(This takes place ~10 years before the war)

Adam loved his job… well if you could call it a job. Being a priest of Shirogane was possibly his greatest accomplishment. It was an enviable position and caring for the mountain fortress brought him great pride. This was all beside the fact that working with Shiro, the high priest, had its benefits.

There was no discernable proof that Shiro knew he was flirting. Adam knew that and was okay with it. It was more that he could, and there were no repercussions, and they both would get their work finished quickly. And it wasn’t just flirting. It was Shiro’s job to teach them about the night sky. How to read the stars, how to track the movements of the planets and moon. And discussing every star there was, was one of Adam’s greatest joys, especially when he was talking with Shiro. 

They were having another of these discussions, and Shirogane help him, Shiro’s smile out-shown the moon and stars. There was nothing he wanted more. He lost track of what Shiro was saying about how the star alignments would effect the children being born, and lost himself. Suddenly, too suddenly, Shiro looked over at him. “Adam, are you okay?”

Adam shook himself and blinked, “Of course.” He gave Shiro a smile. “I’ve just found something that outshines the stars.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow and smirked. “What, the sun?”

Adam smacked Shiro, “You would keep me from sacrilege.” He smiled but turned away.

 “Adam, what is it?” Shiro’s hand was on his shoulder.

“You don’t need to worry about it.” Adam said smiling softly to himself as he felt Shiro’s hand drift down between his shoulder blades.

“I worry about you. I don’t want to hurt you.” Shiro whispered in his ear.

Adam turned back to Shiro. “You could never hurt me.”

Shiro bit his lip looking for the first time unsure about what he would be doing. It took half a second for Adam to decide to risk it all, and he reached out to stroke Shiro’s face, cupping the other man’s jaw and rubbing his thumb over Shiro’s cheekbone.  As his thumb brushed over the delicate skin, a grey mark appeared, a matching one appearing under Shiro’s other cheek. Adam’s eyes widened. “Shiro what is this?”

“All the gods have markings that appear when they use their powers. Adam, something bad is coming, but I can’t see what it is. If I’m needed by my friends and family, I will go to them, but while I’m gone you will need to be High Priest.” Adam pulled away, but Shiro caught him before he could protest, and continued. “We all disguise ourselves as our own High Priests to be better aware of what is happening among our people. Adam, I trust you.” Shiro’s eyes never wavered from Adam’s. “Please I will need your support with whatever is coming.”

Adam’s heart broke just a little, because yes, Shiro trusted him with what must have been his greatest secret, but also, damn he just wanted to be loved by this boy. “I will do whatever I need to.” Adam nodded turning to stare at the moon.

“Thank you.” Shiro said, and Adam could still feel his gaze. “I—”

Adam turned to look at him again, just in time to see him blush. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, my mother would tell me this is wrong… Uhg.” Adam turned and smiled at Shiro. “You know how I’m pretty young for a god?”

“No. But go on, your standards for living are immortality so, I can’t judge.” Adam’s grin grew as he had gotten Shiro to laugh.

“Okay, so basic rundown, in 10 human years a god will age one for the first 200 years. Around 80-100 years, we can start shape shiting and creating disguises, but we still won’t be fully grown and allowed to create our own temples until we are 200. I’m around 300 now, which is why you believe I’ve always been around. Anyways. Gods are normally fairly solitary creatures, but recently two have actually had something of a human union because they love each other, and I’m happy for Samuel and Colleen. I just think that I can’t do that because I am a god, and the person I’m in love with isn’t and I really don’t know why I’m talking about this.” Shiro turned away from Adam, as Adam attempted to swallow his emotions.

“Shiro, it’s okay to have feelings for someone, you never know, they may like you back.”

“I’m not too worried about that, they haven’t been extraordinarily subtle with their flirting.” Shiro laughed.

“Great Krollia, who else is flirting with you?” Adam nearly shouted. Shiro rocked himself back onto the grass he was laughing so hard. “Shiro, this is serious. I’ve been trying to get your attention for years, and this usurper just flirts more blatantly than me, and wins your affection?” Shiro was gasping between his heaving laughs. “Shiro this is serious! We spend so much time together and I have not noticed this!”

Shiro wiped away a few stray tears. “Is it so impossible that this person might, be you?”

“I am extremely subtle!” Adam gasped, knowing he was being dramatic, but loving the way he was making Shiro laugh.

“It stops being subtle when you’ve been doing it for the past five years.” Shiro was still gasping to regain his breath, but he sat up to look into Adam’s eyes. “Are you okay with this?”

“Shiro, that reaction, while more dramatic than I normally am, was real. I mean unless you’ve been lying to me the entire time we’ve known each other.”

“Well techni—”

“You being a god doesn’t count. I understand that one.” Adam stated. “But we’ve talked a lot. And if you actually aren’t the kind, gentle teacher and protector that I’ve come to love, then I will be pissed.”

Shiro smiled and leaned closer, “I think that won’t be a problem.”

“Also,” Adam took a shaky breath, “If you don’t actually kiss me right now, I will be pissed, because that would be cruel.”

Shiro brought his face closer to Adam’s and their noses brushed, “Oh, really, I just really love seeing the stars in your eyes.”

“Bastard.” Adam said just before he tackled Shiro and kissed his face off. And the best part of that kiss? No one knew.


	10. War Brings Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People, I'm sorry. I was hurt writing this, and yeah, sorry.

The war had been going on now for three years. Gods were dying. Adam had convinced Shiro to begin teaching the priests to use weapons to protect the temple. It had been difficult, until Adam had reminded Shiro that THEIR CHILDREN LIVED THERE TOO. At eleven, eight, five, and two, all with the power of flight, and a deep connection with the stars, the kids were a handful before the galra started attacking, and now, making sure they were safe, and kept their powers under wraps was… well ‘a challenge’ would be an understatement. At least Tras was old enough to begin understanding that normal people don’t fly and will ask too many questions about his fathers.

 The kids aside, the fortress for the first time in living memory, was filled with people. The weak, sick, young, and old had all been systematically moved up here, and it was now Adam’s job to protect them. Making three things he had to protect, Shiro’s pillar, which he was told about after Colleen had died. A god dying because their pillar was destroyed… It was unheard of. Adam would make sure it never happened to Shiro, even if Shiro was not currently here.

Adam went about his days, creating a routine out of chaos, each morning he would go to the pillar and place his forehead on it, closing his eyes, and accepting Shiro’s presence, and even after thirteen years of knowing Shiro’s true name, it still felt heavy on his tongue. He would then check up on his children, make sure that Marcia was dressed and ready for the day before slinging her to his chest. The other three had chores that they did about the temple until noon. He then went out amongst the people, assisting with what was needed, and giving the best advice he could. Children were losing their parents, housing felt constricting in the face of so many people. He wasn’t sure if it was Keith, Krolia, or Shiro doing it, but it only rained on nights where everyone had roofs over their heads, and disease was quarantined, and thankfully not spreading. He spent two hours every day teaching the children about the stars, and what they had learned about flight. He would then put Marcia in the child care house with the other two year olds, and go practice flying, fighting, and fighting while fighting with the other priests.

A couple years before the war Matt and Katie had visited, to make mischief, and had then had an idea for an experiment in allowing humans to fly. It resulted in gliding, but it was still the most amazing feeling next to true flying while carried by Shiro (What? His husband had good arms?). The gliders could be manipulated onto up drafts which allowed them to quickly escape each other during their play fights.

It was a normal day, for war time. Shiro had told him that to be on guard, because the Galra were more likely to strike on the days around the new moon, though it was not guaranteed, and Adam was content with how the morning had gone so far. He was putting Marcia down when a scout hurtled himself over the top of the mountain. “Quick! They’re coming!” He yelled.

Adam kissed Marcia’s head, and whispered, “I love you.” Before running for the temple where the gliders were kept.

He ran past Tras and nearly yelled, “Tras, get Furden and Shwil go up to our rooms, and don’t come down until your father or I come and get you!” He brushed a hand against the pillar, and shared with Shiro what was happening as Shiro showed him the raging battle front he could not leave. Seeing his three older children stare at him, scared from the bottom of the steps, he ran up to them and embraced each of them and said, “I love all of you. I’ll do my absolute best to come back, but right now, I need to know you three are safe. Your father has promised to visit tonight. I love you, now go on up.” He pushed them gently towards the stairs before going to the flight and weaponry room, and strapping on his sword. He then took his folded glider and strapped it to his chest. Taking a dee breath, he ran again, this time towards the edge of the plateau. He paused to strap on the knee to ankle tail and strapped the wings to his wrists. Before leaping off the side of the cliff. It was always a mad rush, the dive before he snapped his wings out. Once they were out he used his chin to flip a switch that would keep them out and released his wrists. He quickly spotted the other priests and the Galra, who were struggling to keep climbing without being attacked by flying priests. The winds were aiding them in a way that they’d done when Shiro had been helping them figure out how to fly. Giving the updrafts they needed. None of the Galra had been hurt yet, but Adam knew the consequences of letting them succeed, and had no qualms making sure they would die. He dove in and stabbed one in the back before pulling up and away and shaking the body off his sword. The game changed for the Galra at that point. The found a ledge big enough to defend and turned to fight. Adam and the priests dove and stabbed and retreated quickly and silently in the patterns they had practiced… until one of the Galra grabbed Adam, and another shredded his glider’s wings. Adam simply unstrapped it and went on fighting. The other priests withdrew, there were only three Galra left, and even if they lived the three of them could not take down the pillar alone. One was already injured, and was hanging back.

Adam fought quickly dodging and swiping, giving and receiving cuts. Then there were two. He continued fighting and spun quickly diving his sword into one of their stomachs and in the brief pause of withdrawing the sword, the final Galran soldier ran him through. Adam gasped and reached for Shiro. _I’m sorry… I love you…_ then he was falling again. Falling into Shiro’s scream. Another of the priests finished off the Galran soldier, and Adam closed his eyes.


End file.
